Something Worth Hiding
by Zelda Charm
Summary: How long will it be until Zelda gives away her deepest darkest secret? This is my very first story, so go easy on me! Rated T for safety
1. A Concealed Secret

*****UPDATE*** I wrote this story about two years ago when I didn't know much about writing. Towards the end of this fic, I started to lose heart for it and you can probably tell by my writing. I won't reread this story because I absolutely hate reading my own words, and the only time I do is when I'm editing a chapter that I'm about to post. But when I wrote this, I didn't even do that towards the end. I just wrote whatever and posted it, so it's definitely not my best work. I'm not taking this story down, because it's my first and kind of sentimental, but if I were you I probably wouldn't read. It's honestly just not as good as I hoped it would be XD You have been warned!**

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><p>Zelda sat across from who she thought to be the man of her life. She could not get over the fact that he had felt the same way about her as she had for him. She was perfectly happy with her life as it was and wished it would never change.<p>

She lifted her delicate hand and gently stroked his massive arm. It was hardened with pure muscle; she swore she could have punched it with all her might and it wouldn't have harmed him in the slightest. His abdomen was no different; it was as hard as a rock. She moved her hand to under his chin, with her thumb stroking his cheek. She was mesmerized by the idea of being so lucky as to find someone like him.

It was late at night; the only time of day when they could escape from everything and just have their own time. They sat at the top of the light tower, relishing each other's presence. Even in the faded glow of the crescent moon, Zelda could still see the shimmering in his dazzling eyes. They were like no others, and they reminded her of the sky when the sun shone its brightest.

Cautiously, she wanted to feel his hair in its lusciousness. He had always been very particular about his hair, and didn't let just anyone stroke it like he would Zelda. He nodded his head in confirmation, and Zelda excitedly took both her hands and delicately grazed his head. His hair was much softer than it looked, and she felt lucky being one of the very few to make contact with it. He was just happy to be in the presence of a beauteous woman, and wanted to make her feel different than the others.

After their date from the light tower they came down the ladder, and walked hand in hand toward the Knight Academy. Just to the right of the staircase entrance, they could both see the eyes of a Remlit, which was never a good thing to come across at night. Zelda hid behind his muscular body, and he fought off the creature. She believed that no matter what, he would always be there to protect her from harms way.

Fortunately, he was able to manage throwing the demonic being over the edge of Skyloft, but they were always able to come back, due to the usage of their ears as wings. They hurriedly ran up the stairs to the academy, laughing as they were breathing. As quietly as they could, she opened the door and tiptoed to her room. As much as she didn't want to say goodbye, she new she had to, for there was always a fear of getting caught, especially with Zelda's father being the headmaster of Knight Academy. The only thing that she was able to cope with about him leaving was knowing that they, even if for a short amount of time, would be able to do this again tomorrow.

With this thought in mind, although hesitantly, she sweetly kissed Groose goodnight, and watched him walk to his room. She found herself counting the number of hours it was before they would be able to speak to each other again.


	2. Strong Friendship

***Author's Note: Hey everyone! I want to thank everyone that left reviews and suggestions. They're really helping me!**

**Also, in this chapter I decided to take some time to show Link and Zelda's friendship. A little Zelink, perhaps? Read to find out!**

"Link! Wake up! Link!"

Link's eyes opened slowly, his only motivation being the voice shouting abruptly in his ear, and wanting it to stop.

"Hey, Zel," Link said with a faint smile on his face. He was never really a morning person, like everyone at the academy knew, but he was never unmannerly with Zelda, unless they were kidding around, which he had always done since they were little kids. They were almost as close as they could possibly get, since they were best friends since childhood, and they told each other everything. The only thing Link didn't know was Zelda and Groose's relationship….

Zelda returned Link's gesture with a smile and said, "Class is in 10 minutes… please don't be late again!" She then stood up and left Link to himself. This was the process for everyday since the first year at the academy; He had never been able to wake up on his own, so it was up to his best friend to have that responsibility, otherwise he would most likely be kicked out of school.

But Zelda didn't mind; she was always up earlier than everyone else anyways. By the afternoon, the water in the bathroom was always freezing, and the only way she would be able to manage getting hot water was taking a shower extra early. Even earlier than Karane, who curled her hair every morning, who mainly only tried to impress Pipit.

Link appeared in the doorway of the class with literally 2 seconds to spare. Instructor Horwell only shook his head and rolled his eyes at him in a humorous manner, which made Zelda giggle. He then sat by Zelda, who questioned him, as usual.

"Why are you so late? I'm telling you, you need to stop slacking off in the mornings!" She always suggested on making him get up earlier, but he always refused. Link could be very stubborn when he wanted to be.

"No, I made it on time, didn't I?" He gave her a smile, and she responded by giving him a brief look of disapproval, and then sighed back into her work.

After classes were done, Link and Zelda decided to fly on their Loftwings to their island. Their island was discovered a long time ago as they were leaving to the north of the Lumpy Pumpkin, trying to escape the wrath of Pumm when they smashed his pumpkins for rupees. Although, Pumm wasn't too upset, since they were only children. They could still recall this day as it set in their memory, although they always fought as to why they actually wanted the rupees. Link claimed it was because he wanted to buy a slingshot. Zelda's rebuttal was always that they wanted to buy potion that allowed them to breathe underwater. So far, however, none of them had actually gotten the evidence that either statement was correct.

Zelda arrived first, as usual. Link tended to procrastinate until the last minute for _everything_, demonstrated this morning. As she waited with boredom, she stood where some flowers lay and started to pick them. Once she picked them, she smelled each and every one to see if any smelled different than the other.

Finally, she could see a distant blob of a crimson color in the sky. Soon the blob became a bird, with a green-clothed boy on its back. Once the bird arrived to the island, Link descended from his Loftwing and walked over to Zelda.

"Hey," he said apologetically, "sorry I'm late, but I grabbed something to eat before I came."

"Oh," she said jokingly, "so now I'm less important than food?"

"No! It's just… well… I was hungry, ok? I'm sorry…." He knew Zelda was kidding, but he still felt guilty for making her wait.

Zelda laughed. "Link, you know I'm kidding! I couldn't stay mad at you, even if I was mad to begin with!"

Link smiled at her comforting words. "Yeah I know. So what are you doing?"

"Well I was picking these flowers, and then I thought of a new name for this island…." They've always debated on what to name this island of their own, but could never agree on a name. They both said that each other's suggestions were worse than the previous.

"Ok, let's get it over with."

"Shut up! It's good this time! Picture this," Zelda motioned her hands in the shape of a banner. "Forest Haven."

"Forest Haven? Zel, there's no trees! Did you really think I'd agree to this?"

"No, but there's plants. I thought maybe you'd actually agree for once. Seriously, it makes more sense than Rock Spire Isle!"

"Ok, it makes sense though because I actually found a rock spire here!"

"For the last time, Link, finding a pointy little stone is not a rock spire!"

Even though he disagreed, he laughed anyways. He then playfully tackled Zelda to the ground, where they pretended to punch each other. After a few minutes, they were giggling to themselves while lying next to each other. Both were staring at the sky, enjoying the view of the clouds passing over them.

"Maybe a simpler name would be better," said Link, "I mean then I'd have a better chance at actually remembering it."

Zelda smiled, because she knew this was true. He was never known for remembering things. "Alright, what should it be?"

"Hmm…." Link thought for a moment, and his head turned to face Zelda. "Maybe a combination of our names…. How does Linelda sound?" As the word came out of his mouth, he realized how odd it sounded, and joined Zelda in laughter.

"Linelda? That just sounds weird. Let's call it… Zelink." Zelda then turned her head to face Link. They both looked at each other in approval.

"Zelink it is, then." Link said, satisfied with the ring the words had as it was spoken.

***Hope you liked it! Did anyone catch the Windwaker reference?**


	3. Zelda's Ascendency

**New chapter! Hope you like it! Hopefully in the upcoming chapters I'll be able to put in more Zelink, cause I'm all for that. Until then, enjoy!**

The afternoon school bell rang, which meant it was everyone's favorite time of day: lunchtime. Not only were you given time to eat (which Link and Pipit particularly liked), but it was also an hour break from school, so you could relax in Skyloft for a while before classes started again.

Link, Zelda, Pipit, and Karane always had lunch together for part of their break, and today was no different.

"Goddess," Link said, "Was that test hard or what?" Everyone groaned in response. Instructor Owlan had given them a test about the proper strategies of advanced bird flying, most of the material they haven't covered yet.

Karane groaned especially loud. "Seriously! Have we even learned any of that stuff yet?"

"I don't even think I've learned most of that!" said Pipit. He was a year older than the others, so he usually knew more. "How are we supposed to know the speed to go to avoid an oncoming wind tornado? I mean, if a tornado is throwing me off, I'm not thinking about speed. I'm thinking I need to get the hell out of there!"

"Oh Pipit," Karane said thoughtfully, "You're so much smarter than us…. I mean, if you can't get an answer, no one can!" She always flirted with Pipit, and _everyone_ could see this, except Pipit. Link and Zelda exchanged glances with looks of annoyance.

"Well," Zelda began, "Is one bad grade really going to hurt our final grades that bad? Besides, even if they did, I may be able to make a deal with the headmaster." She then winked to everyone.

The others thought about it, and decided Zelda was right. One bad grade couldn't possibly ruin their lives. Another comforting thought was Zelda's hint to a change in the grade system, and Zelda never let them down, and they were well aware of this.

Just then, the lunch lady, Henya brought out their lunches. It wasn't particularly good, but edible.

After they were finished eating, they went to the Plaza to hang out until school started again. When they arrived, they sat down together to talk. They all enjoyed the time they had to talk to each other, for it always gave comfort to them. They bonded well because they all went through similar tragedies. The one that brought them together the most was the loss of their parents. Link never knew his parents, and no one is aware of their whereabouts. Zelda's mother died when she was young. Pipit's father left him and his mother completely on their own. Karane's parents were lost in a tragic storm southeast of Skyloft. They all knew what each was going through, which is what made them so close.

On the other side of the Plaza, they saw Groose, Cawlin, and Stritch.

"Great…" said Pipit sarcastically, "I really hope they just leave us alone." Link and Karane shook their heads in agreement, and Zelda just looked away and pretended not to hear. Unfortunately for them, Groose turned around and started waking their direction. Zelda's hands started to shake with anxiety. Would she really be able to pull this off?

"Hey losers," said Groose, "How'd you do on that test? I know I aced it! Course, none of you wimps were probably smart enough to make a cheat sheet like me." Cawlin and Stritch looked at each other, as if they were involved in Groose's antics, which was typical.

Link stood up to face Groose, and was surprised he only came up to his chest. "Groose, go away and just leave us alone." He tried to keep his voice as firm as possible.

"Oh, look at the little shrimp stand up for himself. Look, why don't you and your little friends go and play hopscotch like the little kids you are?"

"No, I think we're staying here. By the way, nice toupee." Pipit and Karane busted out laughing, and even Zelda chuckled for a moment.

"Back off!" Groose said angrily as he took a step towards Link and raised his fist, which made Link flinch. Zelda then stood up, knowing she had a better chance at getting Groose to calm down then anyone else, but was just as frightened.

"Groose," said Zelda, "Stop. Please." She looked into his eyes, and he reluctantly lowered his fist and breathed out as if he were a bull. He abruptly turned around and walked away. Cawlin and Stritch followed confusedly, glancing at each other occasionally.

_Oh no_, Zelda thought to herself. _Now I've done it._

Link, Pipit, and Karane stared at her in disbelief. Did she really just drive away the school bully? "How did you do that?" Karane said as she started to stand up.

Pipit got to his feet as well. "Yeah, how?"

"I- I don't know," Zelda said nervously as she moved her eyes from one face to another. She felt a lot of pressure with all eyes on her.

Link laughed. "Watch, he probably has a crush on you or something."

The others laughed in reply, while Zelda attempted to fake a laughing noise of some kind.

Before they knew it, they were walking back to the academy, where Zelda prayed to the goddess that she wouldn't have to face Groose's wrath until later that night, terrified of what might come of him.


	4. Rough Discipline

**Sorry it's been taking me awhile to post new chapters! It's just that lately I've had a lot of schoolwork, and for any downtime I find myself reading the Hunger Games, and then I can't put it down -_- Anyways, it'll probably take some time for the next chapter to come, but until then, enjoy! (P.S. Sorry its so short!)**

Zelda sat on her bed, listening to the pattering of the rain on her window. She looked at the floor of her room, seeing a pinkish-orange colored glow, which indicated it was sunset. Waiting for the sun to leave the sky, she thought about what she would tell Groose. She knew he would be irritable, for it was only earlier today she had embarrassed him in front of everyone. Apology was definitely in order, but she was afraid of his capabilities.

Soon enough, the sun went down, so she waited only awhile longer to leave the building. Once the time came, she quietly opened the door and snuck out. Heading outside, she wished she had a jacket or umbrella, but rain in Skyloft wasn't very common, and wasn't a concern to most people to buy items of protection from it.

She walked to the light tower and slowly climbed up the ladder, in fear of slipping. She finally reached the top, and when she did, she waited. She thought of what she could possibly say to him to calm him down. She contemplated that she was worrying too much, but she didn't want to lie to herself for comfort.

She had been waiting for at least 20 minutes before she saw a red spike appear from the side of the light tower. She immediately felt a rush of anxiety and guilt.

"Groose," she began, "I'm so sorry! I should have never embarrassed you like that! Please, please forgive me!"

"Whatever Zelda," said Groose, "I'm more upset about that wimp that thought he could stand up to me! What's his problem?"

"Oh, Link? Don't worry about him. He's only standing up for all of us."

"Well I don't like it. I also don't like you hanging around him all the time." By now, the rain was heavier, and they were both drenched.

"Groose, he's my best friend! I've known him since-"

"I don't care!" Groose interrupted. He then harshly grabbed Zelda's shoulders with a stern grip and began to raise his voice more than it was before. "Stop hanging around him! He's only going to make me more angry!"

"Groose, please, just listen to me!"

The next thing Zelda knew, Groose's hand was whipped across her face. She felt stinging in her cheek and raised her hand to her face.

"No," Groose said sternly, "You listen to me! Do what I say, and you won't get hurt. You need to understand who's in charge. Only then will this relationship work. Got it?"

Zelda was too stunned to reply with words. She slowly shook her head in agreement. She questioned herself if what just happened actually happened, or if it was just a dream. She then decided that the sting she felt on her face was unmistakably real.

Groose then left without a goodbye, but she didn't mind in the slightest. As a matter of fact, she was happy that he left her alone, for it gave her the opportunity to cry in her own company, soaked in the rain.


	5. The Feeling of Neglect

**Finally new chapter! Sorry it took so long, but i actually thought it would take longer. For some reason, all my teachers decided to make all our exams into projects, which we only get a week to do for all of them. Ughhh. So keep that in mind, because, again, itll probably be awhile for the next update. Thank you for your patience! :)**

Hearing her alarm go off was the worst feeling in the world. Generally, Zelda was a morning person; one of those peppy people who would sing in your ear if you looked tired to her. Especially if you were her friend. She loved messing with people when they're sleepy and more venerable.

But this morning was different. She felt much more groggy and weary than usual. She assumed it was only because of the lack of sleep she'd gotten, from her dates at late night to waking early every morning.

But something else was different too; her eyes were watering, she had a scratchy throat, and her nose seemed to be stuffed up. The thought dawned on her that she possibly might even be sick. Sickness was rare in Skyloft, so she pondered over the thought of how she could have possibly gotten sick. Then it came to her.

Rain.

Rain was always known to make people ill, but only if you were outside for a long time without any covering.

She cursed to herself, realizing what a mistake she'd made. Since sickness was so rare, when someone in Skyloft was ill, they were virtually avoided for days. She knew she had a long few days ahead of her.

She headed for the shower, with the optimistic speculation that perhaps there was a slight chance she could simply just wash the awful feeling away.

It didn't work.

After she dried her hair (which took _forever_), she headed to the cafeteria for breakfast. She found Karane and Pipit sitting with their food, Karane flirting as usual. Zelda walked over to Henya, who handed her a tray with a waffle and syrup. Zelda grabbed a fork and juice and went to sit with her friends.

"Hey," Karane said, "Are you feeling ok? Your eyes look sort of puffy."

Zelda sighed. "Not really, I think I'm coming down with something."

"Eww you're sick?" A few people turned around at Karane's remark. "Please stay away from me! I hate being sick!" She then picked up her tray to dump it, then left the cafeteria. Zelda looked down, slightly embarrassed, especially since people were still turned around in their seats.

"Hey, Zelda," said Pipit, "It's ok. Karane just hates being sick, but don't worry. Link and I will stick by you!"

Zelda smiled at his comforting words. "Thank you, really. It means a lot."

Classes were extremely hard that morning. Every few seconds Zelda was either sniffling, rubbing the water from her eyes, yawning, coughing, or sneezing. She felt completely awful not only for herself, but for possibly spreading the germs to others as well, forcing them to endure the pain. Everyone but Link and Pipit always scooted away a few inches every time she sneezed.

It took what seemed to be forever for the afternoon school bell to ring. As soon as it did, Zelda darted out the doors of the school. Link, Pipit, and Karane went to the cafeteria to eat, and all but Karane had looks of concern.

"Where's Zelda?" Link said as Pipit and Karane sat down.

"I don't know," Karane said, "But I hope she doesn't come soon. Being sick is like a pet peeve of mine!"

Link rolled his eyes subtly, trying not to let her see. He quickly tried to eat his food so he could search for Zelda. He knew the one place where she felt like she was isolated from everyone, which is where she would want to be most at this time.

Link dove off the diving platform and landed on his Crimson Loftwing. He headed for north of the Lumpy Pumpkin, and proceeded to Zelink. As he came closer to it, he could see a figure lying in the grass, which soon appeared to be Zelda as distance decreased.

He leapt off his bird, and lied next to Zelda. She was rubbing the spot where Groose had hit her, wondering if it was noticeable. It was the first time today she actually felt like she could relax and think about it.

"Hey, Zel," Link began, "Why did you leave so early?"

Zelda yawned. "I guess I figured you guys wouldn't want to eat with a sick girl… especially Karane. It's probably a bit repulsive." They both smiled at Zelda's joke, although Link was slightly concerned she truly meant it. He thought that Zelda couldn't possibly ever be repulsive, even if she tried.

"Well Karane's just being little miss dramatic, as usual."

"True, but I know she doesn't want me around. This morning, when she found out I was sick, she completely left the room… even with Pipit in there!"

"Whoa, really?" Karane abandoning Pipit was completely unheard of.

"Yep," she said. She wanted to ask him what Karane said at lunch, but her voice hurt from her strained throat, and decided not to say anything.

They lied in silence for a while, Link letting Zelda relax from everything that was bothering her, which seemed to be a lot at the moment.

After lying down for a while, Link eventually spoke up. "Hey Zel, we have to get back to school. I think it'll be starting again soon."

No response. Link looked over to see Zelda fast asleep in the grass. She had been so exhausted lately, and he felt horrible for having to wake her up.

He looked at her face, which was red and wet around the eyes. He listened closely, and heard her breathing through her nose, which gave a squeaking sound, indicating its stuffiness. He knew he would regret waking her up, for it only made her conscious of her aching body.

Despite her aberrant features, Link started to have a feeling he'd never had before. He didn't see the usual face of his best friend, but something more. He had always told her she was beautiful, but more in a brother-sister way. Link looked at her face, and began to see her true beauty. Sure, it was obvious that she was and always had been alluring, but he now saw her in a slightly different way.

He caught himself deep in thought, thinking about Zelda as being possibly a lover. He snapped himself out of it, leaving these thoughts to reside in the back of his mind. Trying to forget these logics, he sat up and gently shook her shoulder.

"Zel? We have to go to school." Her eyes opened, and she sneezed a few seconds after. He felt awful for her, and wished for more than anything to take the pain away from her.

She began to sit up with Link. "Ok," she managed to mumble as Link helped her stand up, her only motivation being the help and concern of her best friend.


	6. In Deep Thought

**New chapter! I'll update the next one when this writer's block goes away! Sorry this chapter is super short :(**

By the time sunset overcame the skies of Skyloft, Link had already sent Zelda to her room to get more rest. Not only did she need it, but he needed time to think, as well.

Why was he suddenly starting to see Zelda differently? Nothing she spoke of would have phased him in any way, nor anything she did. The only thing peculiar about today was the fact that she had been ill, and he had been there to take care of her.

Link caught himself in that thought alone, the fact that he had taken care of her. The words crept in his mind, "Through sickness and in health…"; words he hadn't expected to think of until he had found a long-term lover; words that he wouldn't speak of aloud until his wedding day. Did he subconsciously resemble Zelda to… a wife?

Link shook his head; not in disgust, but the fact that he was thinking of his best friend in a way that she would never do to him. He rode his Loftwing to the Lumpy Pumpkin, to retrieve a certain kind stew that supposedly made sickness go away faster. He couldn't help but think for a moment that it could possibly cure the abnormalities of his mind.

As much as he wanted to stall not coming back to Skyloft for a while, twilight would soon set in and his Loftwing would not grant him access to the skies, so he set off. Fortunately he left at a good time, for the sun was near to set as his feet met with the ground.

Link walked in the eeriness of the night towards Knight Academy, trying his best to avoid the remlits. Carrying the pot of soup, he made his way inside, up the stairs, and caught a glimpse of the door leading outside closing shut.

_Pipit. It's only Pipit_, he thought to himself, hoping he was right.

But when he reached Zelda's room, she was gone. Panicked, he checked behind the dresser, under the bed, even below the carpet without thinking. There was no sign of her.

Trying to stay calm, he quickly tried to think of where she could possibly be. He thought of the kitchen, possibly she wanted a snack for some reason. But to his dissatisfaction, she wasn't there either. He thought of possibly the bath room, but Gaepora always seemed to have claimed it first before sundown.

But then another thought came to him: the door. The one that lead to the outside which he had seen being closed. He scurried outside to find it colder than he had expected. There were few light lit, but he mainly found himself being guided by the glow of the half moon in the sky. And in that moonlight, he was able to see a figure at the top of the light tower.

He was relieved until he came closer, and was able to see the color of red on top of a burly figure. Groose.


	7. Abandoned

**Hey there! Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who reviewed! They make my day :)**

**Again, sorry this is so short. I was going to make it longer, but I wanted to update before next week because I'm going to a mission trip and won't have any time to work on this whatsoever. :( Hopefully I'll be able to get another update soon though!**

Once, when Link was a young boy, he asked Gaepora about his parents. Gaepora was the most knowledgeable person that he knew of that resided in Skyloft. But all he knew about Link's past was that he came from a far off island, and when that island was searched, traces of his parents and even Link himself had been erased.

It was harsh, but it was truth. It's what Gaepora decided to tell Link, that his parents abandoned him, that left Link with emotions he had not felt before. Sadness, anger, betrayal, and abandoned. Of course he had these feelings, but not with the same magnitude it had now, especially with it being all at the same time.

These emotions are the same emotions he feels now as he stands at the far edge of the plaza, watching Groose and Zelda embracing on the top of the light tower. He felt betrayal from the fact that since they were young, they told each other everything. At least he thought so, until now. Abandoned, even more than when he learned of his parents, because he always had a best friend right beside him. But now, she was about 50 feet away from him, beside _Groose_.

Link found himself on his knees in defeat. Someone had claimed her before him.

Struggling to get himself on his feet, Link took one last look at the light tower and headed back to the academy. It wasn't until he reached his room that he realized he had been soaked in the rain. He was changing his clothes when he heard a knocking at his door. "Come in," he said with his back facing Zelda.

"Hey, Link," she said softly.

"Hey Zel." Link sighed without turning to look at her. He was afraid if he saw her, then he would do something stupid, like cry.

"I just wanted to thank you for the soup. That was thoughtful of you to do."

"No problem," he said hoping she would get the idea that he didn't want to talk. She must have, because a few moments later he heard his door shut.

_Well_, he thought, _tomorrow's going to be awkward_.


	8. Forgotten Past

**Finally back! Sorry it took so long, but I wrote it all today, because my writer's block cleared up today. Hah. Oh and sorry if this chapter's events are random, but trust me, it's juicy! R&R if you want :)**_  
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**Just a warning, the chapter after this one is really short... I apologize ahead of time :/**

_He knows_, Zelda thought to herself as she walked towards the classroom. _He knows about us_. It was this thought that drove her to stall to the last minute to get to class. Apparently she wasn't the only one because she ran right into Link at the doorway.

"Sorry," she murmured as she gave a faint smile, hoping he would return the gesture. If a smile was what it took as sign that they were still friends, then maybe everything would be ok.

But she was dissatisfied when all that crossed his face was one that could not be interpreted. He was completely emotionless. The only thing in terms of communication she received from him was a hand motion indicating she could enter the classroom before him. _Well, that's a start_, she thought to herself.

Zelda noticed a single open seat in the front row and three in the very back. She walked to the back hoping she would be followed by him, but was let down when she turned to see him sitting in the front beside Fledge. The hand gesture would have to suffice for now.

As soon as the teacher began speaking, Zelda's mind wandered off to Link. How badly she wanted to tell him everything! How she was lonely one night, and Groose happened to be there, how afraid she was to ever feel alone again. She knew that Link would have been there, but she was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. And how she couldn't leave Groose if she wanted to…the things he would do to her….

Link, on the other hand, couldn't stop thinking about how rude he was being to Zelda! He wasn't even mad at her. Even if he was, it's no reason to treat her like garbage. He was madder at himself, for letting someone else reach out to her before him. He was her best friend! If it had been anyone, it should have been him.

Before he knew it, the lunch bell rang and everyone scurried to the cafeteria. Pipit, Karane, and even Zelda sat at their usual table, which surprised him considering how he had been treating her lately.

"So, Pipit," Karane started, "How's has night patrol been going?" Zelda rolled her eyes, and she thought she caught a glimpse of Link doing the same thing. Was Karane ever not like this?

"It's been ok, I guess." said Pipit. "It's just hard balancing out school, homework, sleeping."

Karane starts developing puppy-dog eyes. "So no time for a relationship, huh?" she tries to say as casually she can, but you can feel the desperation behind her voice.

"Probably not," Pipit says as he glances up at Zelda and Link. He still has no idea Karane likes him, even though everyone else does.

The rest of the time they eat lunch together is pretty silent. Occasionally Link and Zelda look up at Karane to see her eyes glossy with tears that she refused to let drip out. She would never want to appear weak in front of Pipit.

Zelda is the first to finish, and as she's about to walk out after cleaning her area, she whispers to Link, "Meet me at Zelink. Please. We need to talk." Link doesn't move except for the ever so slight nod he gives to her without moving his eyes from his plate.

He leaves the cafeteria and can't help but notice Pipit watching him._ He must know something I don't_, Link thought to himself. _Oh well, I guess I should get used to being kept in the dark._

Link was nearly off the eastern platform of Skyloft when he heard his name being called.

"Link! Link!" called the familiar voice. He turned to see Orielle running towards him. Orielle was a good friend to Link, but not as good as Zelda, of course. He and Orielle had been good childhood friends, and she was always there for him when Zelda wasn't, like if she had to speak to her father or something of that nature.

"Orielle!" said Link. He started to feel bad because he hadn't even thought about her since the beginning of the school year. She had more of an interest in Loftwings, so she didn't enroll in the Knight Academy.

As children, they even tried to "date", like the holding hands, kissing cheeks kind of date, but it didn't work out because of her protective older brother, Parrow. Link never admitted it, but even though he forgot about her, he never stopped liking her. Except when he was with Zelda.

They embraced in a hug and then she looked him in the eyes. "Are you ok? You seem upset."

"Yeah I'm fine," Link started, "Just a lot on my mind, I guess."

She gave a sympathetic look and said, "You want to talk about it?"

He glanced in the direction of Zelink, knowing Zelda was waiting for him. "I wish I could, but I have to get going."

"Ok," she said breaking eye contact. After a few seconds she quietly said, "I've missed you Link."

"I've missed you too," said Link. "We should get together sometime. We need to catch up."

Link wanted to stay, but he reluctantly turned to the platform to jump when his arm was being grabbed and Orielle's lips met his.


	9. Only Some Explanation

**It's short! I know, trust me. Hopefully I'll actually have time to write longer chapters soon, but next week I'm going to the beach. It's like whether it's school or summer, I'm always busy! I'm trying though, I promise!**

The ride from Skyloft to Zelink all felt so wrong. Leaving Orielle was not something that seemed to be logical. She, at the moment, was the only person to give some kind of comfort to Link. She seemed to be his only true friend. He contemplated going back to chase her, but couldn't once he saw a purple Loftwing in the sky. Zelda's Loftwing.

He reluctantly kept flying, keeping his Loftwing at a steady pace. When he landed, he came to find a tearful Zelda sitting in the grass facing away from him. She sniffled, but he couldn't tell if it was due to her sickness or sadness. He painfully accepted it was probably the latter.

He sat beside her and said, "I'm not mad at you, Zel."

Without moving, she says, "Why not? You have every right to be."

He thought about how to explain it, and he responded with, "Let's just say I understand what it's like to be overcome with emotions about someone." He was referring to both Zelda and Orielle.

"Link, it's just that there's some things you still don't understand. Like, _why_…"

He was confused, but said, "Ok then, tell me," and let her proceed.

"It started a few weeks ago…I was really sad because," she took a deep breath, "I missed you. And, I don't really know why, I just wanted to see you…."

Link did the same thing all the time. He just wanted to go to her and be with her forever. But he knew that would never happen. "Ok," he said so she would continue.

"I was heading to your room when I came to the bottom of the stairway and saw him," she paused for a moment then continued, "Link, he was so nice to me. I didn't want him to be, but he was. He even hugged me once I burst into tears. I still don't know why I let him do that."

Link was still confused. "So…how did things lead to…you two?"

She finally looked at him with a painful look on her face. "It's just like he told me last night," she said as she began to stand up. "I'm forever in his debt."

Then she dove off the island to let Link think to himself. It took him only seconds to realize what she meant. She will never escape Groose. She can't. He won't let her. And there's nowhere to run when all that exists are islands.

But something still doesn't make sense. Groose couldn't have gotten controlling just from a hug. There must be something else Zelda wasn't telling him. Link almost got mad until he thought about Orielle.

Zelda wasn't the only one keeping secrets.


	10. Her Secret

**I'm back! And man, have i been busy! But it doesn't stop there... for the next few weeks I have a lot of stuff to do, including my birthday :), so I apologize if the next chapter is late. I've also been working on stories for Fiction Press, but I've barely gotten anywhere with those stories, but I'm trying!**

**Something else I need to say... this story is going to be ending here soon. I'll be able to get a few more chapters out of it, but not too many. I'll try to make this interesting while I can!**

The rest of the school day dragged on what seemed to be longer than usual. It was particularly long for Link. At least Zelda got a little bit off her chest while Link was left with more questions than before. Throughout the entire school day the thoughts of what Groose would have against Zelda haunted him.

These thoughts followed him to his room once classes were over, and he couldn't seem to shake them off. The thought that Zelda and Groose would be at the light tower in a few hours nearly made him gag. He stayed in his room until sundown, and that's when Pipit came into his room.

"Hey Pipit," said Link confusedly. He didn't recall ever seeing Pipit after classes were done. He'd usually be asleep until the night actually came.

"I know I don't come here often, I just thought you could use a friend. With what's happening with Zelda and all."

It took awhile for Link to understand what he meant. "Wait, you know about them?"

"Link," Pipit started, "I work night patrol and I always go outside in my free time. I practically live outside when I'm not in school. I see things that I probably shouldn't."

"So how long have you known?" Link asked.

"Only for a few weeks. I'm not sure if anything was happening before that, but that's when they started sneaking out." There was a brief pause before Pipit said anything again. "Don't take this the wrong way, but why do you care about Zelda? Aren't you dating that one chick that's obsessed with Loftwings?"

Link felt his face flush. "H-how do you know about that?"

Pipit raised one eyebrow and said, "I, uh, saw you two earlier today when I went outside…was that a secret or something?"

"I don't really know what that was…she kissed me before I could do anything about it. But…I…."

"But you what?" Pipit questioned.

"But I…liked it."

Now Pipit understood why Link was acting so strange. "Oh, I see."

"Yeah, and I don't really know what to do."

"I guess time will tell."

Link looked at him curiously. "How do you know?"

"Let's just say I've had my fair share of time with the ladies, if you know what I mean."

"Yeah right. You don't even know that Karane likes you-" Link said without warning. He accidently told Pipit Karane's biggest secret. Link covered his mouth with his hand as if it actually made a difference as to what he just said.

"W-what? She likes me? Really?"

Link didn't respond. Not with words, movements, anything. He sat there with his hand on his mouth until Pipit slowly walked out of his room.

All Link could do was hope he didn't lose Karane's friendship like he might have with Zelda.


	11. Exchanged Glances

**New chapter! Ok, so I know I'm like a few months behind everyone else, but I just finished Skyward Sword like 3 days ago. It really was a great game! Except for the trials though... they almost literally scared the crap outta me.**

**Also wanted to say thaaank youuu to everyone who has reviewed! They make my day, seriously. You guys are awesome!**

Over the next few days, Link, Zelda, Pipit and Karane had all been distant of each other. Even at lunch they hardly ever spoke, which was surprising because usually Karane would be flirting with Pipit. Maybe she had noticed a change in his behavior. How he suddenly became much more shy around her, and how he lowered his head if someone had mentioned him and Karane in the same sentence. And Link blamed himself for that.

Zelda missed Link incredibly, but she tried to cheer herself up by thinking now maybe Groose wouldn't punish her as bad. Even though the truth was that she would have endured a lot of pain to see him, but that thought was always been vanished by the side affects of fear when she got around him.

Instead of Zelink, Zelda spent most of her time in her room, where she felt safest. She often wondered how her life had changed recently. Had it only been weeks since she was convinced that Groose was the love of her life?

She had actually forgotten how long ago it was that she and Groose got along on that one dreadful night. And for some reason, though she didn't know why, it really bothered her. So much so that she searched for her diary, which appeared to be misplaced. She checked her desk, bookshelf, and her drawers.

No diary.

She then thought that it might have slipped under her bed somehow. She got on all fours and stretched her arm underneath the bed, realizing it must have been years since she'd searched there for anything, judging by the feeling of dust bunnies and cobwebs. Just when she was about to give up, she felt an odd-shaped item and pulled it from under the bed, and gasped. After a moment or so, she abruptly stood up and marched for the plaza.

She was planning on jumping off the main platform to look for Link when she found him on a bench, head in his hands. But he quickly changed position when he heard a smack next to him on the bench. He looked down and saw an old slingshot, with the wood slightly cracked and a nearly snapped string.

He looked up to see Zelda's face with her glossy blue eyes. "What's this?" he asked raising the tattered slingshot.

"Remember the day we smashed the pumpkins at the Lumpy Pumpkin until we got yelled at?" After a moment a slight smile came to his face. He remembered well.

"I told you we didn't buy potion!" Link teased, and Zelda laughed along with him. His voice eventually became serious. "Why are you showing me this?"

Zelda sat beside him. "Because… I'm owning up to my mistakes." She paused for a moment and Link waited patiently until she continued. "Clearly I was wrong about the potion, and I've also been in the wrong of not telling you the truth."

"Like what?" Link grew more curious.

"Well, about Groose, really…" Zelda started. He nodded once as if saying he understood. They were both well aware of Groose making not so settle glances to them from the other side of the plaza. He couldn't hear their conversation, but he still seemed uptight.

She began to speak again. "It's just that… well… I'm afraid to leave him. I'd much rather be with you, but…" Her voice trailed off. It was too hard to say aloud. Especially here.

"Afraid of what?" Link asked thoughtfully. He hated seeing Zelda in such a state. _She_ usually did a lot of talking.

Zelda opened her mouth again to speak, but found herself trapped in silence again. Then she thought to show him instead. She raised her foot onto the bench and lifted the bottom of her dress, revealing a nasty purplish-red bruise a little below her knee.

Link jumped at the sight of it. "Goddess, Zel! What did you do, fall down the stairs or something?" Link joked as he got a closer inspection.

Zelda stared at him, and he knew he said the wrong thing. "What hap-" was all he could get out before he saw Groose storm off to the Knight Academy with balled up fists.

And that's when it finally hit him. "_He_ did this to you?!" Link said almost too loudly. Zelda quickly examined the area around them, and thankfully no one seemed to hear.

"Shh!" she said, putting her leg back on the ground. "That's why I can't leave him. Who know what he would-"

"Listen to me." Link said as he put his hands on her shoulders, and then continued. "He will never, _ever_ hurt you again. I am _not_ going to let that happen."

Zelda actually felt comforted for the first time in a while. She looked into his eyes as if she were sending a message saying "Thank you" to him without actually speaking. Her gaze broke when she glanced past his head and saw Orielle staring at her, almost… jealous.

"What's up with her?" Zelda nearly whispered without moving, and Link tried to follow where her eyes were. He turned and saw Orielle running the other direction, her hands up to her face as if she'd been crying.

Link sighed and looked down. "Well?" Zelda insisted for an answer.

"We… we kissed." He turned his head and saw her surprised face. "But it meant nothing, I swear! I- I'd much rather be with you…" Huh. So that's how stupid sounded a few moments ago. She wanted to be mad, but of all people to be angry, it should be Link, and he seemed to only want to protect her right now. So she let it slide.

But she couldn't help but ask the question. "Do you like her?" She was proud of herself of how she managed to not let her voice crack.

"Not anymore." He said as he played with Zelda's hair. "You just confessed you like me." Link gave her a playful smile and raised his eyebrows repeatedly. She burst out laughing, an action she hadn't done in a long time.

Link started laughing with her because he absolutely loved her laugh. It became hard to breathe, but they didn't slow down.

After about a minute of this, the second they looked at each other their heads collided into what would soon become the memory of their first kiss. After about 5 seconds, they pulled away, both with shocked looks on their faces.

They looked at each other, not knowing what to say or do. This would soon become the memory of their first awkward moment.

"I- I should probably straighten things out with Orielle…" Link managed to choke out as he began to stand up.

"Yeah, you do that…" Zelda said so nervously she just kept shaking her head.

The both walked opposite directions, Zelda to the academy and Link to the village across the bridge. They somehow managed to both check over their shoulders at the same moment, giving each other a smile as they separated and got closer to their destination.


	12. Comfort

**Ok, so this is actually the 2nd to last chapter. Just warning you. I personally would hate to be completely surprised as to when the last chapter was in a story. Like I wouldn't even know until it said "The End" at the end of it.**

**Also, I've started a new story! It's a bit different than this, but it's still technically the Legend of Zelda. It is rated M though for the later chapters, so read at own risk. I'll include the link at the bottom of this chapter, so I'll see you at the end!**

***9/11/12 EDIT: My new story is actually rated T, but I may change it to M later.***

Zelda jumped when she heard the knocking at her door. Just the possibility of it being Groose scared her to death. But she calmed when she heard the voice of who she was hoping it was.

"Hey, it's me," Link said, standing on the other side of the door. "Can I come in?" His was eager to tell her things, and she could tell by the tone of his voice.

"Yeah," Zelda said a bit shakily, still trying to recover from the thought if it being Groose.

Link entered, and made sure that the door was shut tight behind him. They wouldn't be heard unless someone was in Karane's room. The makeshift room dividers were not ones to block out sound.

"What about Karane?" Zelda whispered quietly in case she was in there.

"That's one of the things I need to talk to you about," Link said, without softening his voice. He sat in the chair at Zelda's desk, and she was seated on her bed, facing him.

"Karane's with Pipit," Link said with a smile growing on his face. But Zelda didn't understand.

"Yeah, so?" she said. They were together a lot, so she didn't see what the big deal was.

"No Zel, I mean Karane's _with_ Pipit. A few minutes ago I saw them holding hands outside before I came in. I didn't want to stare, but I think I saw them almost kiss!"

Zelda broke out into a huge smile. "Finally!" she exclaimed as she held her arms in the air. Link started to laugh, and Zelda did too. "So how did he figure it out? That she liked him?"

"Well," he started as his laughter started to subside. He brought his hand to the back of his neck, making him look guilty of something. "I sort of, accidently, told him…"

"What?!" Zelda looked astonished. "How?"

"We were just talking, and it kind of just… I don't know… slipped out." He really did feel guilty, and didn't even want to relive the conversation he and Pipit had.

"Well, no need to feel bad," Zelda said. "I mean, it did work out for the better, right?" She always had a way to make Link feel better, and it showed when he gave her a warm smile.

She glanced at the window, and Link could see her happiness fade. With every second, the sun went lower, and darkness crept outside. They both knew what time it was going to be soon. Now it was Link's turn to make her feel better.

But despite the darkness closing in on Skyloft, they still had a bit of time to spare. Link then remembered something else he wanted to tell Zelda.

"Oh yeah, Karane and Pipit wasn't the only thing I wanted to tell you about." He said. Zelda shifted her gaze from the window to him. She raised her eyebrows in curiosity, and he continued. "I talked to Orielle earlier."

"And?"

Link decided to just be blunt, and maybe she would feel better. "And… she was pissed." Zelda giggled, and Link thought that it was better than nothing. "But she understood. She said you an I have been friends for a long time, and it made more sense…."

"If only everyone could be convinced that easily." She said sadly. Link looked at her knee shielded by her dress, remembering the ugly bruise that Groose had given her.

Link couldn't control himself. He abruptly stood and sat next to Zelda on her bed, and gave her a long hug. It was the first one that they'd shared in a long time. They're grips around each other were tight, but comforting.

Zelda began to cry in his shoulder, but he didn't care. He had no intention of stopping her. He knew that she wasn't weak for crying, but that she had been strong for far too long.

It was like this for several minutes. Neither one of them moved or even talked. Holding each other in the other's embrace said enough.

It was quiet in the room until they heard a door open from the other side of the dividing walls, followed by a fit of laughter. Link and Zelda slightly pulled away from each other to witness the other's face of shock. Even Zelda, with tears down her face exposed a slight smile.

Pipit and Karane laughed at what was probably a joke until Karane hushed him and told him to be quiet, since Zelda was probably sleeping.

Covering their mouths to prevent even the slightest giggle, they both crept out the door and were sure to close it behind them as quietly as possible. They still tried to keep quiet in the hall for the teacher's sake, and they were semi-successful, for all they emitted was a small chuckling sound.

By the time they were able to keep quiet, they looked at each other, and right on cue they heard the squeaking from yet another door opening from downstairs. Groose's door.

Once Groose left the building, Zelda was nearly hyperventilating. Link grabbed her shoulders and attempted to calm her down.

"Zel," he said. "Listen to me." She made eye contact and then he continued. "Nothing is going to happen. Trust me. I'll come with you and protect you. Okay?"

Her eyes widened. "What? But—"

"Zelda," Link looked at her with stern eyes. He put his right hand on her cheek and wiped away her tears with his thumb. His other hand reached behind her and began playing with her hair, and she immediately began to calm down. He wasn't going to let Groose hurt her. Not anymore.

He told her the words that she could never deny or argue against. "Trust me."

* * *

><p><strong>Ok, so heres the <em>Link<em>(pun intended):**

**s/8491848/1/The-Era-of-the-Goddess-Hylia**

**So, if you're bored or something, you should go check it out! And if the link doesn't work for some reason, you can always just get there by going on my profile.**

**...Oh yeah, just remembered in case you haven't noticed I changed my pen name to Hope5683. Hopefully that didn't cause too much confusion or anything.**


	13. Confrontation

**Whoaa! Last chapter!**

**Again, I'm sorry it took sooo long! Btw, if you want a social life in high school, do NOT take college classes! I'm learning that the hard way... BUT this one is long! (For me, anyways) Enjoy!**

From the academy's top entrance, Zelda could already see the red pompadour that grazed Groose's head. She caught her breath, and Link held her hand for comfort.

"You can do this," Link said, looking at the light tower. His gaze went to Zelda. "Lets end this."

She simply nodded, still a bit too shaken for words. She was still worried about what would come out of this. A black eye? A kick to the stomach? Or, worse, he would hurt Link?

No, she couldn't let that happen. It was her who showed Link the injuries with Groose feet away from them. She was asking for it. Link didn't deserve anything that would cause him harm.

Together, they walked through the night of Skyloft, being very evasive regarding the remilts, since they both knew their whereabouts very well. With every step closer, Zelda squeezed Link's hand tighter as her breathing began to grow more frantic.

Once they reached the base of the light tower, he noticed she was shaking. He kissed her hand, and she managed to cease her shaking. She refused to look into his eyes, because she was afraid she would start crying again. She hated feeling so weak.

She started to climb the ladder, with Link right behind her. Even as she reached the top, he stayed on it in case she would need defending at a moments notice.

She placed her feet firmly at the top, and awaited Groose's words.

He grimaced at the sight of her. She crossed her arms, trying to subconsciously make him think she seemed stronger than what she really was. It seemed to work a bit.

"You know I saw what you did," Groose huffed, referring to her showing Link the gruesome bruise on her ankle. "So why did you do it?"

"Because, Groose," she said, and to her surprise without quaking. "I'm done with you. I'm done with all this. I just want my life back!"

He looked surprised, but angry nonetheless. He balled his hands into fists, and took one step closer to Zelda. They were only about seven feet away from each other now.

"Is that so?" Groose asked sternly. She nodded, and he continued. "Well, princess, that doesn't work so well with me. You see, the only time I'm not nice to you is when you do something I don't like! So you're putting yourself in a hell of a situation now," Groose said as he smirked. He enclosed the gap between them a bit more, leaving about three feet in between them.

"You're not in control of my life, Groose. And if you have a problem with that, then you can take it up to my father." Zelda declared. Link, hanging onto the side of the ladder, gave the slightest smile at what she was saying. He was proud of her for finally putting herself back together again.

Groose's mouth hung open at her words. She'd never used her or her father's authority against him. In spite of that he took yet another step towards her, only this time there was no space between them. He put himself against her, and he whispered in her ear.

"You're going to regret saying that, princess," Groose breathed. He stepped away and grabbed her wrists harshly, and didn't loosen his grip even as she struggled to break free.

"Stop!" she screamed, "Groose, stop!"

At her call, Link climbed the few rungs of the ladder and faced Groose. "You heard her," he said, "Stop."

Groose looked down and directed his voice towards Zelda. "I figured you'd bring him along…." he said loosening his grip, allowing her to quickly pull away.

"Zelda," Link said, "It's ok. Go."

"But Link," she started.

"Now, Zel!" He interrupted unintentionally. Zelda didn't question him. She dove off the tower and used her sailcloth for a steady landing.

Link's attention was now guided to Groose. They gave each other glares of hatred for several minutes until Link decided to speak up.

"That's enough of your little game, Groose," Link said steadily. "It ends here."

"And what gives you the right to say that?" Groose said. "The only reason you're here is because of Zelda. You have no other reason to be here, and you have nothing to do with us. So what's the big deal?"

"The big deal is… is…" Link didn't know how to put it into words. What he said next is what his mind told him to say: the truth. "I'm in love with her."

Zelda gasped, having heard all the way from the ground. Did she just hear that right? He was in _love_ with her?

Groose raised his eyebrows, trying to think of a comeback. After thinking awhile, he finally managed to come up with one. "If you loved her, then why didn't you come to her defense before? You're her best friend, so she had to tell you before, right?!"

"She didn't tell me," Link started, "I figured it out by myself. But I loved her, and when you love someone, you just want them to be happy. And I thought she was with you, so I stayed out of it." He took a deep breath. "All I want is for her to be happy. And if you did, like you made it seem like a long time ago, you'd think the same thing."

Link couldn't believe he'd just said that. Yes, it was true, but he never expected to open himself up to something like that. Especially to Groose.

"Ok," Groose said, not knowing what to say. "Well… uhh…" He was too stunned. That was the last thing he was expecting to hear. He did think he loved Zelda at one point, a long time ago, but he wouldn't have ever wanted her to be happy with someone else.

"Well, what?" Link said growing more impatient to hear his response to his confession.

After a few minutes of silence, Groose began to walk towards him. Link swiftly placed his hand on the hilt of the sword that he borrowed from the Sparring Hall.

"Whoa, whoa!" Groose said, holding his hands up in surrender. "I was just trying to get to the ladder!"

Link moved out of his way. He still wanted an answer. "So, what now?" Link asked, still confused about what exactly just happened.

"I-I don't know…" Groose said, not knowing what to say. "I just didn't think of it like that…. You'd be happier with her than me. I mean, when I got her, it was like I reached my childhood dreams. But now, everything's so much different…." There was a short pause, and he continued with his voice slightly raised. "I'm just angry that she can't love me like she does to you!"

Groose stomped off, and proceeded to go down the ladder. He saw Zelda on the other side of the plaza, and his first impulse was to go over to her. For whatever reason, he didn't know. But instead he turned to his left towards the diving platform, and took small, slow steps near it. Once at the edge, he sat down and swung his legs over the side, and Zelda watched curiously.

"Hey," Link said, touching Zelda's wrist. She jumped, not expecting him to be there. He must have come down while she was watching Groose. "It's ok. Everything's ok." He grabbed her hand. "Let's go."

Zelda obeyed. She could barely feel her feet, and often stumbled on the stairs to the knight academy. But she knew that Link would be there if she fell. He would always be there for her, no matter what.

The two of them didn't speak, not even awhile after they were both in her room. Pipit had left Karane's room, judging by the lack of laughter and giggling that they had been doing earlier. Zelda sat on her bed, and Link did the same, making sure to keep his hand connected to hers.

She rested her head on his shoulder, and his head on hers. They remained like this for what seemed to be hours, but was only about 20 minutes.

Link finally spoke up. "We should get some sleep Zel," he said, starting to move away from her. He stood and kissed her forehead, said goodnight, and headed towards the door.

His hand was on the doorknob when she finally said something. "You're not going to make me sleep alone, are you?"

He turned around at her sudden words, and looked at her longingly. She moved towards the edge of the bed closest to the wall, and laid down with her elbows propping up her upper body. "There's room for the both of us," she said with the smallest smile you'd ever seen.

He returned the smiling gesture, and started to remove his shield and sword. He laid next to her, and they both faced each other, satisfied with the fact that it was a bed definitely not made for two people. Squeezing was perfectly fine.

Link began to play with her hair, and she let him. She secretly loved it when people played with her hair, especially him.

After about 10 minutes, it was evident that Zelda had been tired because she was fast asleep. Link, twirling her hair around in his hands, was tired himself, but he never wanted this moment to end. He wanted to live in it as long as he could.

He heard footsteps approach outside Zelda's door. The light from the hallway showed the shadows of feet beneath the sliver of light the door allowed, and Link turned so that his hand hovered over the sword, just in case. The feet stayed in the same place, until after a few moments when they moved.

_Groose_, Link thought. At least he changed his mind. Nothing would happen to her now. He wouldn't allow it.

He drew his attention back to Zelda, and was as happy as the first time he'd ever saw her. He was finally happy, and his life had finally changed for the better.

He was always fond of the island of Zelink, but now, that word alone had a completely new meaning. And he didn't want it any other way.

~The End~

**And, thus was the end of my very first story! I've had a great time writing this and I've learned a lot about writing too! Hopefully I'll be able to improve for other stories, and this was a great way to see where exactly I stand as a writer. Thank you sooo much to any follows, favorites, and reviews for this story! (And if you happen to be reading this way after I post it, I still appreciate any favs/reviews for it.)**

**Anyways, if you still want to read stuff by me, I have a newer story up on my page! It's about the war before Skyward Sword, with Link and Hylia. Might sound weird, but I'm working really hard on it and I'm definitely improving in terms of storylines and stuff. So check it out! :) I'll see you around!**


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